


Albion Prep

by wrennette



Series: Trashpile: A Compendium of Unfinished Fics [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe - High School, Gen, archiving old words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-06-01
Packaged: 2018-11-07 13:10:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11059671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrennette/pseuds/wrennette
Summary: Merlin is a new transfer at Albion Prep, on a scholarship to take sciences and assist Gaius. Modern high school AU (thinkGossip GirlorCruel Intentions).





	Albion Prep

**Author's Note:**

> I am an American, so keep that in mind while I make shit up.
> 
> Merlin Emrys: Chemistry geek, new transfer student. Scholarship. Previously homeschooled.  
> Arthur Pendragon: Rich kid, jock, ring leader and rugby team captain.  
> Morgana L. Fey: Rich girl, Arthur's cousin.  
> Gwen Avere: Morgana's confidante. Scholarship.  
> Dr. Gaius: Chemistry and Physics teacher  
> Dr. Uther Pendragon: Arthur's father, Board Member of Albion Prep, former student and rugby player.

"Dr. Gaius?" Merlin asked tentatively, poking his head through the door. The old man turned quickly, nearly losing his balance on the rolling library ladder he was perched on. Rather spry despite his age, the man hopped down, looking at him expectantly over his wire rimmed spectacles. "Ah, um, I'm Merlin," he offered, "Merlin Emrys," holding out his hand. Dr. Gaius nodded, shook his hand quickly and sat down, leaving Merlin stumbling over his tongue and shuffling hurriedly through his papers. "I ah, I have a letter?" Merlin said after a moment. "Um, I won a scholarship? At the science competition?"

He finally located the letter in the bottom of his satchel and held it out. The professor took it, shoving up his glasses and peering at the small type carefully. 

"So you have," Gauis said. "You've been to see the Headmaster?" Merlin paled, shaking his head quickly. Dr. Gaius smile slightly. "You probably just need to see the secretary," he offered, a slight comfort. "Get your schedule and locker, a map of campus. It says here you've been home schooled?" Merlin nodded again, fingers twisting in the cuffs of his coat. "You'll probably have to schedule some placement exams, unless you've taken them already?" Merlin again shook his head, a slow look of horror creeping across his face. Dr. Gaius smiled somewhat kindly. 

"Go on to the Headmaster's office," he ordered. "It's in the main building, looks like a castle, impossible to miss. Come back when everything is all settled, and I'll have some work for you." Merlin grinned quickly, taking back the letter and traipsing out into the stone corridors of Albion Prep. It was nothing like the school he had last attended, Ealdor Township Primary School, and that had been quite a few years before, back when he had been in the closet and going to school in his rural town hadn't meant taking his life in his hands. 

Pushing thoughts of his backwards little hometown from his mind, Merlin slipped out of the sciences hall. Despite that the calendar indicated that it was autumn, it was warm and sunny out, and Merlin hated that he was wearing his second best suit, the tight neck of his shirt nearly choking. Halfway across the parklike center of campus, a bell shattered the stillness, and students burst out of buildings, talking and laughing. Merlin looked around in slight amazement. Everyone was so sleek and well put together looking, not a single hair out of place. He felt distinctly scruffy, and rubbed his hands awkwardly against his thighs and fought through the knots of gossiping girls towards the main building. 

As quickly as they had burst out of buildings, students began filing back in, talking as they went. Finally he slipped into the main building, in time to see a gang of large, muscular boys in jerseys burst out laughing. He slipped by them, glancing quickly. They were grouped around the alpha of their group, a striking fellow with golden hair and broad shoulders. The golden haired fellow was twirling a pen in his hand, blue eyes fixed keenly on a cowering boy a few paces up the corridor. As Merlin watched, The big blonde jock twitched his hand forward, an almost casual motion, but it sent the pen arching through the air, and unbidden Merlin calculated the trajectory, speed and force to back up his gut instinct that getting hit with that would fucking hurt. 

The boy cowering against the lockers brought up a text book, deflected the pen clattering to the marble floor, and the jocks laughed uproariously, one of them shoving another sparkling pen, just as heavy and expensive, into the blonde's hand. Again the pen danced in the blonde's fingers, so casually dangerous, and Merlin winced as the throwing motion began. 

"You're a prat," Merlin said, the words falling unbidden from his lips and stilling the scene as effectively as if he had announced that he was the Queen. The big blonde turned, sapphire eyes narrowing dangerously. 

"Excuse me?" the blonde asked, despite that it was obvious to all that he had heard the statement clearly. Merlin swallowed thickly, the heat of anger having left him already, now replaced by the heavy weight of anxiety and fear. He couldn't afford trouble, and there was no doubt in his mind that this was about to be trouble. 

"You heard me," Merlin said simply, rather proud when his voice didn't shake at all. Rather to his surprise, a slight smirk blossomed on the blonde bully's face. 

"And you're an idiot," the blonde said almost conversationally, but there was a mean, arrogant edge to his tone that made Merlin's hackles rise, and he took a step forward, chin jabbing up into the air. The boy who had been being picked on took the opportunity to slip away without so much as a thank you, leaving Merlin alone with a horde of jocks in crimson jerseys, which was how he got thrown into detention before he even got his class schedule and locker assignment from the Headmaster's office.

* * *

Merlin might not have been very athletic, but a lifetime of being an outsider had made him quick on his feet. Unfortunately, his mouth often got him in the sort of situation where 'quick on his feet' wasn't quite good enough. The second time he met Arthur Pendragon was one such situation. It started with jibes and pokes, and devolved quickly into Merlin and Arthur facing one another across their raised fists, their schoolmates forming a ring around them, chanting for a proper fight. 

Once again, Merlin landed in detention and Arthur managed to escape all punishment. This time however, Merlin knew the inequity of the consequences had to do with the fact that Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, served on Albion Preparatory’s Board of Governors, and was the single largest donor in every year's fundraising campaign. In fact, Uther was the source of the scholarship that allowed Merlin to even attend the exclusive prep school.

As he sat, languishing in detention, trying his best to ignore the delinquents throwing spitballs in his direction, Merlin seethed at the unfairness of it. Arthur was a genuine asshole, that much was certain. Merlin was fairly confident that if he broke out the Merriam-Webster, he would find Arthur's picture under the definition of 'spoilt brat'. But he didn't happen to have a dictionary handy, and so he spent the enforced free time solving college level quadratic equations. A boy had to amuse himself somehow. After a while, a pretty girl came in, sparing him a warm little smile as she went by to deliver messages to the detention aide. She took a detour by him on her way out the door. 

"I heard what you did," she said softly. "Good job standing up to Arthur. Someone needed to." He smiled up at her, warming to the sparkle in her dark eyes. "I'm Gwen," she said. "I've got to get going, but keep the strength okay? And I bet Dr. Gaius will get you out before too long." He nodded, squeezing her hand, and then she was gone. A while later the aide freed him for the afternoon, and Merlin returned to the science hall. 

Merlin worked with Gaius for a little while, helping grade papers from some of the lower classes. There was a welcome banquet that night on campus, and so Merlin didn't bother catching the subway home. He just helped Gaius until it was nearly time, then went to the restroom and neatened up. Filing into the dining hall, he looked around in wonder. The Trustees, with Uther Pendragon at their head, were seated at the table at one end along with the Headmaster and many of the senior professors. Students were arranged by grade, their families clustered all around. 

In the cacophony of the crowded hall, Merlin stood still, overwhelmed by all the colors and sounds. A small, warm hand closed around his wrist, and he looked down in surprise. It was Gwen, the girl from earlier. Like all the other students, she wore her school uniform, but now Merlin could see that her jacket was rather shabby, the cuffs fraying at the edges. Her shirt wasn't even the official school shirt, just a plain white button down that Merlin was willing to bet came from the second hand store. Her skirt didn't fit quite right either, and her shoes were a few seasons out of fashion. 

"Come on," Gwen said. "Morgana is saving me a seat. You can sit with us." Merlin nodded, not having any better ideas. 

Morgana turned out to be a stunningly attractive girl with big interlocking 'c' Chanel earrings and an Hermes scarf casually replacing her school tie. Merlin swallowed nervously, glancing between the two girls. But Morgana greeted Gwen warmly and offered her hand to Merlin without any sort of pretentiousness. Merlin introduced himself, and then they were sitting down, making small talk before the 'festivities' began.

**Author's Note:**

> reformatted from a chapter in a multifandom fic to standalone. If you commented on the previous fic, thank you, I appreciate it even though the comments have been deleted.


End file.
